Would Darian Mensah fit as Falcons’ future quarterback?
As the Falcons accumulate more draft capital, one can’t help but think about quarterback possibilities. Incumbent starter Michael Penix Jr.’s performance continues to fluctuate, with more lows than highs, so taking another signal-caller this spring will be on the table.
We looked at Texas quarterback Arch Manning last month. He remains a bit befuddling. Today, we’ll take a quick look at Miami quarterback Darian Mensah, who transferred his way from Tulane to Duke to Coral Gables, where he’s headlining one of the nation’s best teams.
Mensah lacks elite tools, but he understands the nuances of playing the position. He’s experienced and has excelled at getting the ball to his best skill players, including all-world talent Malachi Toney. The Hurricanes have gone the transfer route three straight years, and thus far, Mensah has been more productive than both Cam Ward (a No. 1-overall pick) and Carson Beck.
His smarts and production in the ACC should catch the eye of Falcons top executive Matt Ryan, who once upon a time made a name for himself in the same manner at Boston College.
A look at Mensah
Stats: 28 touchdowns, two interceptions, 2,694 yards, nation-leading 76.8% completion percentage.
It’s often a delight to watch Mensah play the position. He operates with confidence and poise, seeming to understand his physical limitations and knowing how to get the ball into the hands of his best skill players. Mensah had an up-and-down performance last weekend at Notre Dame without Toney, going 24-of-43 for 276 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against by far the best defense he’s faced. It’s a reminder that the College Football Playoff will provide invaluable data points.
Mensah quickly mastered Miami offensive coordinator Shane Dawson’s system. He’s been humming since Game 1, though he’s undoubtedly benefited from a weaker slate of opponents. Mensah has excelled at two other schools, too, showing success in multiple offenses. It’s certainly easy to imagine teams that run the Shanahan offense — which, these days, is many — envisioning Mensah operating it at a high level.
He delivers with good touch and has enough zip to fire into tighter windows, though in general his arm strength classifies as average. His calling card is his accuracy in the short and intermediate areas of the field. He’s demonstrated good ball placement in the red zone. Perhaps facing better defenses will reveal more about how he operates in chaos. He has size at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, and he moves well enough to keep defenses honest.
The biggest knock is that he lacks top-tier traits that often separate the best quarterbacks. He isn’t going to keep defensive coordinators up at night like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson. He operates more in the Brock Purdy mold — which, as we’ve seen especially this season, can be extremely effective. Players like Ryan and Joe Burrow aren’t athletic freaks or possess cannon arms, either.
How it relates to the Falcons
A prediction: Mensah will be a polarizing prospect this spring. Many will love the production, the intangibles and his intelligence at the position, but others will be turned off by his lack of overwhelming traits.
NFL teams continue to bet on the megatalents at quarterback, but for every Josh Allen, there are multiple Anthony Richardsons. Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers will be the latest in that mold should either or both enter the 2027 draft.
Mensah, similar to Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, is never going to be that type of presence. But if one focuses on what he does well, he’s suited for a lengthy NFL career, even if his physical gifts might prevent him from having that perceived monstrous ceiling. Some evaluators might see him as a top-half-of-round-one player, while others could view him as a late first-rounder or even a Day 2 pick.
If the Falcons are picking in the top 10, that might be a bit early for Mensah. But if they traded down and drafted him — or perhaps even traded up from their earliest second-round pick to take him late in the first, a maneuver more easily made with their extra draft capital — that feels like better value; of course, if one believes a player is a franchise quarterback, “pick value” is often tossed aside.
It’s easy to see Mensah’s qualities appealing to Ryan. How he ranks among these quarterbacks depends on who enters the draft, but he’d almost certainly be behind Mestemaker and Carr.